The Paris Olympic Cauldron is back in the Tuileries Garden for summer 2026. The iconic balloon, one of the most memorable symbols of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, rises above central Paris every evening at sunset, weather permitting.
It has returned to almost the same location where millions of people saw it during the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.
If you missed the famous Olympic balloon during the Games, this is a great opportunity to see one of the most memorable symbols of Paris 2024 for yourself. In 2026, the cauldron can once again be seen throughout the summer, and it will return for one final summer in 2027. Below, I’ll explain where to find it, when to go and what you can expect.
© Louis Vendel
Location Olympic Cauldron in Paris 2026
Where can you see the Olympic balloon in Paris?
You can see the Paris 2024 Olympic Cauldron from June 21 through September 14, 2026 in the Jardin des Tuileries, or Tuileries Garden, in exactly the same park where it stood during the Olympic Games.
The Tuileries Garden is the large public garden between the Louvre Museum and Place de la Concorde. It runs alongside Rue de Rivoli, with the Seine on the other side of the park.
The cauldron is located at the Grand Bassin Rond, the large round pond on the Place de la Concorde side of the Tuileries.
During the day, the balloon remains close to the ground and you can walk up to the area around the cauldron. Access is free and you do not need a ticket or reservation.
Every evening around sunset, weather permitting, the helium-filled balloon rises into the Paris sky. Once the Tuileries Garden closes for the evening, you can no longer access the immediate area around the cauldron, but the balloon is actually easier to see from many other places in Paris once it is in the air.
Best places to see the Olympic Cauldron
You don’t necessarily have to stand right next to the cauldron to get a good view. In fact, I think the balloon is even more impressive when you see it from a little farther away.
From the central part of the Tuileries Garden, closer to the Louvre, you have an excellent view toward the balloon. We watched it from here during the Paris Olympic Games and had a very clear view. The photo below was taken from this part of the garden.
When Does the Paris Olympic Cauldron Rise?
During the daytime, the Olympic Cauldron remains at ground level near the Grand Bassin Rond. Every evening at dusk, weather permitting, the balloon rises more than 60 meters, or about 200 feet, into the air.
That means you can see it from many places around central Paris. Good viewpoints include Place du Carrousel near the Louvre, Rue de Rivoli and several spots along the Seine. From higher locations such as Montmartre, you may even be able to spot the glowing balloon above the rooftops of Paris.
The balloon cannot take off in unfavorable weather conditions, particularly when there are strong winds or thunderstorms.
© Louis Vendel
About the Olympic Cauldron in Paris
Although it is usually referred to as the Olympic Flame or Olympic Cauldron, there is no traditional fire burning underneath the balloon. The Paris 2024 cauldron was designed as a 100% electric flame. Water mist combined with powerful LED lighting creates the appearance of a real flame.
The balloon itself is filled with helium and was designed to rise into the sky every evening, creating one of the most recognizable images of the Paris 2024 Games.
The Olympic Cauldron returned to Paris in the summer of 2025 and again in 2026. It has now also been confirmed that it will return for one final summer in 2027, around the same period of the year. The exact 2027 dates have not yet been announced.
So even if you didn’t visit Paris during the 2024 Olympic Games, you still have another chance to see this extraordinary Paris landmark.
Why is the Paris Olympic Cauldron a balloon?
The choice of a balloon is closely connected to Parisian history.
In 1783, Paris played an important role in the very beginning of human balloon flight. Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and François Laurent d’Arlandes became the first people to make a free, untethered flight in a hot-air balloon.
The Paris 2024 Cauldron was designed by French designer Mathieu Lehanneur as a modern reference to this history of ballooning. By combining the Olympic flame with a balloon floating above the Tuileries, the cauldron connects one of the most memorable symbols of the Paris Games with an important chapter in French aviation history.